An Australian Vietnam War Era Zippo Lighter – 7 RAR 1967-68

An Australian Army Zippo Lighter with Vietnam war photographs and badges

Vietnam War period cigarette lighters are a popular area of collecting, with Australian units being highly prized by collectors. This Australian Vietnam War era Zippo lighter, which I recently added to my collection, was made at the conclusion the 7^th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment’s first tour which ended in April 1968.

Australian Vietnam War 7 RAR Zippo lighter featuring an acid-etched Royal Australian Regiment badge on a shield with the roman numerals VII on the front and the battalion’s iconic Pig motif with the words “South-Viet-Nam 1967-68” on the reverse. The base of the lighter dates it as having been made in 1968. Juleswings Collection

The battalion, which was raised as part of the build-up for the Australian deployment to Vietnam became known as the ‘Pig Battalion’ and the soldiers as ‘Porky’s People’, a tradition that continues until this day. According to Corporal Roy ‘Doc’ Savage in Michael O’Brien’s book ‘Conscripts and Regulars With the Seventh Battalion in Vietnam’, the battalion got the nicknames shortly after being raised,

“The single men of 3RAR were sent to Puckapunyal to form a new battalion, 7RAR. I arrived there on 11th November 1965. At first there were only regular soldiers. We used to keep the boozer open all weekend having the cooks bring our meals there. Anyway, on my second week there the new CO (Colonel Eric Smith) decided to inspect his new battalion area on a Sunday. He immediately closed the boozer. The next day he called a muster parade of the whole battalion and commenced to tell us what he thought of us. Half way hrough his speech he said and I quote, ‘You are nothing but a mob of pigs’. Then from the back rank someone called out ‘oink oink’. From that time onwards we became the Pig Battalion.”

7 RAR in Vietnam

The 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (7RAR) was formed on 1 September 1965 at Puckapunyal, Victoria. The battalion deployed to Vietnam in April 1967, replacing 5RAR as part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) at Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy province.

From 24 January to 1 March 1968, 7RAR operated outside Phuoc Tuy with 2RAR during Operation Coburg along the Bien Hoa-Long Khanh border. This marked the first 1ATF deployment beyond Phuoc Tuy. The operation aimed to protect allied bases during the Tet Offensive. Apart from a short break from 9–13 February at Nui Dat, 7RAR remained engaged in Operation Coburg until March.

Throughout its deployment, the battalion conducted extensive patrols and cordon-and-search operations in Phuoc Tuy. It was relieved by 1RAR on 9 April 1968 and returned to Sydney on 26 April.

Banner over the main entrance to the Headquarters of 7 RAR. The banner reads ‘PORKY’S PEOPLE WELCOME PONY SOLDIERS’. 7 RAR, also known as the “Pig” Battalion were Porky’s People and they were being relieved by 1RAR who had a Shetland Pony as their mascot. Australian War Memorial Accession Number: P01547.009

Members of 5 Platoon, B Company, 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (7RAR), just north of the village of Lang Phuoc Hai, beside Route 44 leading to Dat Do. United States Army Iroquois helicopters are landing to take them back to Nui Dat after completion of Operation Ulmarra, the cordon-and-search by 7RAR of the coastal village of Lang Phuoc Hai. Operation Ulmarra was conducted by 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR) and 7RAR with support elements. Left to right: Private (Pte) Peter Capp (kneeling); Pte Bob Fennell (leaning over, facing camera, with an ammunition belt for an M60 machine gun slung over his shoulder); Corporal Bob D’Arcy (partly obscured behind Fennell); Pte Neal Hasted (centre, front); Pte Ian Jury (partly obscured, centre, rear, holding rifle); Pte Colin Barnett (front, right, M60 ammunition belt on back, back of head to camera); Lance Corporal Stan Whitford (partly obscured behind Barnett); the helicopter marshal at right is Pte John Raymond Gould, 7RAR. The United States Army Iroquois UH-1D helicopter was operated by 2 Platoon, 162nd Assault Helicopter Company, 11th Combat Aviation Battalion. Photograph: Michael Coleridge. AWM Accession Number: EKN/67/0130/VN

7RAR returned to Vietnam in February 1970, once again relieving 5RAR. Its primary focus was pacification operations in Phuoc Tuy, which had become the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) priority in April 1969. These operations aimed to destroy enemy base areas, deny enemy access to the civilian population, and help establish a secure environment for South Vietnamese social, political, and military development. The work was demanding, dangerous, and often monotonous for the soldiers.

As part of the pacification program, 1ATF participated in Operation Cung Chung, conducted in four phases from 12 June 1970 to February 1971. The operation involved intensive patrolling and ambushing to deter enemy movement through the area. While successful, the continuous patrolling placed significant strain on the troops.

In February 1971, 7RAR was relieved by 3RAR and returned to Australia later that month, arriving in Sydney on 10 March.